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Fire Stations

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 December 2021

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Ceisteanna (84, 85, 86)

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

84. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Ballincollig fire station, Cork is currently closed; if Cork City Council has sought additional funding to reopen the station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59189/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

85. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the estimated cost of running Ballincollig fire station annually. [59190/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Thomas Gould

Ceist:

86. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average cost of running a fire station annually. [59191/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 85 and 86 together.

The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Service Acts, 1981 and 2003.   Furthermore, under the Local Government Act 2001, arrangements in relation to staffing in each local authority are the responsibility of the relevant Chief Executive of that Authority.  My Department supports fire authorities through general policy setting and preparing legislation, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority infrastructural projects.

Following the City boundary extension, in 2019, the retained fire service in Ballincollig - previously part of Cork County Council's fire service - was incorporated in the City Council fire service.   

I understand that a number of the City Council's retained firefighters from Ballincollig Fire Station have been successful in securing whole-time positions in the Council's fire service.  This has resulted in vacancies in the retained fire service in Ballincollig. Cork City Council deployed a crew of whole-time firefighters to Ballincollig as a temporary measure, pending restoration of a retained service.    

Provision of a retained fire service in Ballincollig remains the objective of the City Council, and a new recruitment campaign is planned for retained firefighters in Ballincollig. It is hoped that suitable candidates in Ballincollig will be interested in taking up roles as retained firefighters, and that the local business community will consider facilitating any staff that go forward for this valuable community service. 

Since the incorporation of Ballincollig Fire Station into the Cork City Council fire service, arrangements for staffing in the Council’s fire service have been the subject of discussions between the Council and staffing interests. I would encourage all the parties to work together towards a satisfactory resolution to support provision of the City Council's fire services.

My Department has not received an application for funding for Ballincollig fire station. The cost of running a fire station is not held within my Department. This information should be available from the relevant Council.

It is important to note that the non-availability of any particular fire station does not mean that fire risk management, including fire service response, is diminished. The systemic approach to fire risk management, which has been the policy in use in this country for a more than a decade, has seen a welcome and steady downward trend in fire losses in Ireland. While each fire death is one too many, the fire death rate per million of population, averaged over three years, stands at 4.2, a figure which is one third of what it was 10 years ago. 

Question No. 85 answered with Question No. 84.
Question No. 86 answered with Question No. 84.
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